Senator Carr said the review found that Australia’s aid efforts are enhanced by the independent role that ACIAR plays.

“ACIAR is an integral part of the aid program, deploying Australia’s world-leading expertise in agricultural research for the benefit of poor farmers in our region and beyond,” Senator Carr said.

“Agricultural research delivered by ACIAR has demonstrated strong returns.

“The review cites independent economic assessments showing benefits from ACIAR projects valued at $31.9 billion.

“Improving agricultural productivity for the five-hundred million people living in poverty who rely on farming is essential to achieving food security.

“Australia is a world leader in the delivery of research outcomes to help poor farmers in the developing world.

“The work of ACIAR is vital to Australia’s contribution to increasing global food security.”

The review team has also outlined the challenges ahead for ACIAR.

The panel have identified a number of key areas where recommendations have been made to help ACIAR meet these challenges.

Senator Carr said meeting the recommendations of the review demonstrates ACIAR’s commitment to effectiveness of delivery in the aid program.

“ACIAR is developing a new strategic plan that will position ACIAR to further its contribution to Australian aid,” Senator Carr said.

“The review team have said that ACIAR is an institution of which all Australians can be proud. I too share that view.”

It is understood Mr Joyce will appeal the Dubai court’s decision.

Senator Carr said he had spoken to the UAE Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah at the Doha Forum in Qatar after the judgement. Senator Carr had drawn attention to the length of time involved in the case and expressed the desire that appeals be dealt with expeditiously, given the matter commenced more than four years ago.

The case concerns allegations relating to a property transaction in Dubai involving a Nakheel Group subsidiary Dubai Waterfront.

Senator Carr said engagement, not isolation, is the most effective way to promote human rights, the rule of law and democratic governance in Sri Lanka. For this reason, the Australian Government has reaffirmed it will attend CHOGM in Sri Lanka.

“I will continue to urge progress on human rights in Sri Lanka,” Senator Carr said.

“This includes accountability for events at the end of the civil conflict.

“Australia co-sponsored a resolution on reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council in March.”

Senator Carr said he raised the importance of accountability for events at the end of the civil conflict with senior members of the Sri Lankan Government during his visit to Colombo last December.

“We continue to urge Sri Lanka to show progress on implementation of the recommendations of its Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Report.

“Australia will remain at the forefront of nations looking for progress.

“Media and civil society continue to operate in a difficult environment. I have also raised concerns about the impeachment of the Chief Justice.

“Improvements in these areas and others are necessary to achieve genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka is emerging from the trauma of three decades of civil conflict. Now is the time for reconciliation.

“We support Commonwealth Secretary-General Sharma’s use of his Good Offices, to encourage practical useful steps to enhance cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth.”

Australia has invested more than $226 million in humanitarian and development assistance since the end of the conflict in May 2009.

Australian assistance has included:

This is an increase of $513.4 million on 2012-13 and brings the aid budget to 0.37 per cent of gross national income (GNI).

“This is the highest the aid budget has been as a percentage of GNI in over twenty-five years and, in dollar terms, Australia’s largest aid budget in history,” Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr said.

Australia remains committed to increasing its aid budget to 0.5 per cent of GNI, however given substantial write-downs to Budget revenues, the Government will defer this target by one year, to 2017-18.

“We have seen great progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in our region, and Australia is committed to supporting these goals,” Minister Carr said.

“But major challenges remain.”

Around 900 million people in the Asia-Pacific still live in poverty and nearly 20 million boys and girls do not attend school.

“Stable neighbours with healthy and educated populations are good for Australia. It is in our trade, economic and security interests to provide aid,” Minister Carr said.

The 2013-14 Budget continues to implement the Government’s Comprehensive Aid Policy Framework which emphasises our focus on our neighbours. Over 85 per cent of Australia’s country specific aid is delivered in the Asia-Pacific region.

This funding will:

• Target malnutrition among women and children in the Asia-Pacific, providing over one million people with better access to food and improved nutrition;
• Lift universal education by supporting an additional 1.2 million children reach school; and
• Increase access to maternal and child health services for a further 900,000 women.

In addition, the Government will report funding for the basic needs for asylum seekers in Australia as ODA. This is consistent with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) Reporting Directives. It is practised by other developed country donors, such as Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.

To provide certainty for the aid budget, the Government will cap expenditure from the existing ODA funding envelope in any one year at $375 million.

“The Gillard Government remains committed to supporting our region,” Minister Carr said.

“While we have deferred our 0.5 per cent of GNI target by a year, we are still providing a record amount in aid, over $500 million more than we did last year.”

We’re continuing to increase Australia’s official development assistance while the opposition wants to slash spending on the region’s most vulnerable.

The 2011-12 Annual Review of Aid Effectiveness released in January 2013 demonstrated that Australian aid is effective – that it represents value for money.

The Government will invest $52.6 million over three years to construct secure, purpose-built residential accommodation in Kabul to provide a more manageable security environment for Australian staff working in Afghanistan.

The Government will also allocate $50.6 million over seven years to construct a new, more secure High Commission in Kenya.

The new High Commission building reflects Australia’s expanding trade and investment links with Kenya and East Africa.

In 2011-12, Australia’s two-way trade with Africa was valued at $11.6 billion with it growing at an average annual rate of 9.5 per cent over the last five years. Australia’s commercial relationship with Africa is focused on mining. Estimates suggest there are well over 200 Australian mining companies active in around 42 countries in Africa with current and prospective investments estimated to be approximately US$50 billion.

The Government will provide $215.9 million over seven years to upgrade and replace the government’s secure international communications network. This new international communications network will support greater information sharing across government agencies, and will ensure classified information is better protected.

The Government will also commit $14.1 million over four years to continue DFAT’s coordination role for the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

RAMSI has been one of the most successful security and development operations anywhere in the world.

These elections will see the first transfer of power from one democratically elected civilian government to another in the country’s 66 year history.

The Australian Government is encouraged by the high voter turnout, especially among women, despite threats of violence from some terrorist groups during the election campaign.

Since 2011, Australia has committed a total of $7 million towards the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) efforts to build the capacity of the Electoral Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The Australian Government also provided a further $200,000 to support the Commonwealth’s election observation mission.

This is an increase of approximately $500 million or 9.6 per cent on 2012-13 and brings the aid budget to 0.37 per cent of gross national income (GNI).

It will be the highest aid budget in Australian history.

It occurs at a time when aid among OECD countries has fallen by 4 per cent in real terms (over 2012).

Australia remains committed to increasing its aid budget to 0.5 per cent of GNI.

Given substantial write-downs to Budget revenues the Government will however defer this target by one year, to 2017-18.

We have seen great progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in our region, and Australia remains committed to supporting these goals.

That’s why, over the next four years, we will:

• Target malnutrition among women and children in the Asia-Pacific, providing over one million people with better access to food and improved nutrition;
• Lift universal education by supporting an additional 1.2 million children reach school; and
• Increase access to maternal and child health services for a further 900,000 women.

Compare this to the Liberals – their overseas aid budget never reached 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income, and was usually under 0.25 per cent.

The Australian Government is especially concerned about militia groups’ recent besieging of government ministries in Tripoli.

Australia calls on all parties in Libya to respect democratic processes and the rule of law.

The Australian Government underlines its support for the transitional government of President Magarief and encourages the Libyan authorities to continue their commitment to Libya’s democratic development.

Senator Carr and Mr Sikorski discussed a range of international economic and security matters, including current developments in Europe and the Eurozone, the challenges posed by North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Mali as well as reforms in Myanmar.

“Despite the geographic distance between Australia and Poland, our views on major international security matters are aligned, including in our condemnation of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile program,” Senator Carr said.

“The program represents a threat not just to the region, but to global peace and security, and is a clear contravention of United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

The talks took place during Mr Sikorski’s official visit to Australia as a Guest of the Australian Government.

Mr Sikorski was accompanied by a business delegation. As part of the visit, a Poland-Australia Business Forum and Mining Seminar was held on 6 May in Sydney.

Mr Sikorski said both Ministers agreed that trade and investment between Australia and Poland had room for further growth.

“Poland is among the few countries in Europe and in the world which managed to sustain economic growth throughout the deep recession in the last years showing a respectable expansion since then,” Mr Sikorski said.

“Poland and Australia are the only two OECD countries that maintained economic growth during the darkest days of the global financial crisis.”

Senator Carr said he hoped the forum will pave the way for increased two way investment and commercial opportunities, particularly in energy and mining.

The timing of Mr Sikorski’s visit enabled him to celebrate Poland’s National Day with members of the Polish-Australian community, who play an active role in promoting the bilateral relationship.

Approximately 170,000 people in Australia identify as being of Polish origin.

“People-to-people links are at the very heart of our bilateral relationship,” Mr Sikorski said.

“This is about saving lives and protecting the food supply across the Marshall Islands’ northern atolls,” Senator Carr said.

“It follows a specific request from the Marshall Islands Government.

“An estimated 5,000 people in the northern atolls are experiencing severe drought conditions with an additional 11,000 people affected by continued dry weather and crop loss.

The desalination units will help the Government of the Marshall Islands to provide more drinking water and reduce the impact of the drought on affected communities.”

“In some drought-affected areas, household water catchments and other storage facilities have run entirely dry, while salinity levels in underground water sources have reached unsafe levels. Frequently there is too little water for general consumption or for production of agricultural staples like breadfruit.

“All Australians would understand the hardship that comes with severe drought. This modest contribution for desalination units will go a long way to saving local lives and preserving agricultural supplies.”